Following much careful examination of the evidence, British lad mag FHM has named Tulisa Contostavlos the sexiest woman in the world. If you’re American, you might now be asking, “who is this person and how did she beat out everyone’s favorite Frankenbabe, Megan Fox“? Allow me to explain.

1. She’s a singer.

Tulisa (who mostly goes by her first name only) first rose to fame as a member of British hip hop group N-Dubz, in which she sang from 2000-2011. (That’s since she was 12 years old, according to her current documented age of 23.) Their biggest hit, “I Need You,” peaked at #5 on the UK singles chart in 2009. Some of the lyrics are comical, especially the ones about searching for one’s beloved on Facebook.

2. She’s a judge on The X-Factor.

Following the 2011 break-up of N-Dubz, Tulisa became a judge on the British version of The X-Factor. Last season, she mentored the “groups” category and helped girl group Little Mix become the first group ever to win the contest.

3. She doesn’t take any shit!

Tulisa stood up for trashy-looking women everywhere when she hit back at Elly Jackson (of La Roux)’s assertions that UK R&B music is terrible, empty and unhealthy, and that the women involved dress so sluttily that they should probably just be porn stars. “Where was she brought up – in a barn?” Tulisa asked. “You don’t talk about other people’s jobs like that. It’s just wrong. I think she’s a twat.” When asked who would win in a fight, she said the answer was obvious. “I don’t have to tell you the amount of black eyes I’ve given. No doubt about that. She don’t wanna go there.” Scrappy!

4. Her tempestuous personal life somehow only makes her more likeable.

Witness, for example, this heartfelt video in which she expresses her hurt and anger over her ex MC Ultra‘s unauthorized release of a sex tape featuring the two of them. (She later won a court case to prevent the footage from being distributed.) She’s now dating Jack O’Connell, one of the hot actors from Skins. Good for her.

5. She takes care of her mom.

Her mother suffers from scizoaffective disorder, and Tulisa has been her primary caretaker since she was 11. (Her dad left when T was 14.) A 2010 BBC show called Tulisa: My Mum And Me documented her story.